


Come Tumbling Down

by LastCorsair



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:47:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28910322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LastCorsair/pseuds/LastCorsair
Summary: When a princes of the royal family of Atlas falls in love with the daughter of one of Atlas's greatest enemies, times are about to get interesting.
Relationships: Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 11
Kudos: 48





	1. In which things come out in the open

Weiss managed to avoid seeing anyone until almost noon the next day.

The first person to disturb her was hours before that, of course. There was a tentative knock on her door followed by a fearful, “Y-your highness? Your father sent me to tell you it’s time for breakfast.

“I’m not hungry,” she growled, in a tone that would have sent wise men running for their life.

Unfortunately, whatever poor member of the palace staff her father had used for a messenger was either an idiot or more terrified of her father than her. “Your father commands-”

“I don’t care what my father commands!” she shouted. “I thought I made that obvious last night! Or are you even stupider than he is?!?” Thankfully, the nameless staff member chose to retreat.

Only for a moment, before they knocked on the door again. “Would you like me to bring you a tray, princess? Maybe something to eat will improve your mood.”

Her response was decidedly unladylike but got her point across.

With a sigh, Weiss rose from the bed she’d slept on, not in, still wearing her dress from the disastrous ball the night before where her father had made his ‘announcement.’ _More like an ultimatum._ Stepping over to the window, she pushed aside the curtain to look out over the palace grounds. Titanic trees, some of which might be as old as the kingdom itself, lovingly trimmed hedges and a lawn that was manicured to within an inch of its life where no weed would even _think_ of taking root spread out before her. And beyond the palace gates, just far enough away security wouldn’t run them off (the line was practically painted on the ground) she could feel the press waiting, some of them probably willing to commit murder for a glimpse or a word from the princess who had made such a spectacle of herself the night before.

It was ironic, really. Second in line for the throne of one of the most powerful nations on Remnant, she wanted for nothing save the thing she truly wanted, the freedom to be herself, not hide who she was, to have even a sliver of control over her own destiny. Weiss was familiar with the words ‘gilded cage’ but now she could feel the wrought iron manacles of the duty to which she had been born clamped around her wrists more tightly than ever in her life.

By the time she was disturbed again, Weiss had managed to summon up the energy to shower and dress properly. She might as well look her best for her execution. “Princess? Your father would like to see you in his office.”

Klein. Damn. He’d been on the palace staff since before Weiss had been born, and even her father had to know he was the one person that Weiss respected and would listen to. Normally, at least. “Tell him I don’t wish to be disturbed.”

“Your highness…” Klein’s voice trailed off. “Snowflake, you know you have to speak with him eventually.”

That didn’t mean she couldn’t put it off as long as possible. “My father can go fuck himself sideways for all I care. Feel free to quote me on that.” And with a disappointed sigh, she could feel in her bones, Klein was gone.

The next intruder didn’t bother to knock, they just opened the door and started to step into her room. Weiss had known this was probably coming eventually and chosen her spot accordingly. Before she’d even seen who it was, the book she’d been paging through had fallen from her right hand, the left sweeping out for her chosen projectile. A vase, not historic or particularly valuable, just an ordinary vase one of the maids had brought when she’d asked for a vase of white roses for her room. The flowers hadn’t been replaced today, obviously, and were starting to wilt, but they’d be a small sacrifice to make her point.

Or would have been, if she had waited a second or two more to verify her target. Her father jerked back reflexively, the vase smashing against the door in front of him, spraying him with water and shards of ceramic. “You missed.”

“Did I?” As if her father’s entrance was the farthest thing from her mind, Weiss reached down and picked up her book, flipping through it to find her place. “And when was the last time anyone outshot me at the firing range?”

Her father made a throwaway gesture, acknowledging her point as he gently closed the door behind him. So. This was how it was to be. “You’ve put me in a rather awkward position.”

Weiss raised an eyebrow at him briefly before her eyes returned to scanning the page. “Not half as awkward as the one you put me in. And who was it that once taught me that only a fool blames someone else for the consequences of their actions? Oh, wait.” She put the book down and stood, glaring at her father with her arms crossed.

“Young lady-” he began, but she cut him off.

“I understand all the little deals and trades that come with being king, I really do. And yes, we’re a constitutional monarchy so most of the actual governing gets handled by parliament, which means it’s more a matter of nudging things in the direction you want instead of just decreeing them. But did it even cross your mind before announcing an engagement by a member of the royal family TO FUCKING DISCUSS IT WITH THE BRIDE?!? Or even warn me first?” Weiss stood there, her foot tapping impatiently. “I’m waiting.”

“That… was a mistake.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Engaging you to Baron Winchester’s son without your consent was a mistake,” her father said, brushing ceramic shards out of his hair.

Weiss took a step back, arms dropping to her side, the fury she’d kindled all morning draining out of her. Had her father just admitted he’d been wrong to her? She couldn’t remember the last time that had happened. With a shake of her head, the white-haired girl rallied. Now was no time to show weakness. “Thank you for admitting that, at least in private.” There, never let it be said she couldn’t be gracious, at least a little.

“After you… made your exit last night, he had the nerve to get angry with me, demanding to know what I was going to do to appease him, make up for the ‘humiliation’ he’d suffered. I put him off, hoping to talk things over with you this morning after tempers had cooled.” Jacques Schnee, King of Atlas, looked at his daughter, and right now she was incredibly glad the cold fury she’d seen so many times in his eyes wasn’t for her. Not directly, at least. "This morning he was at the palace gates before breakfast. It seems Lord Winchester has an inflated sense of his own importance.”

“I take it the engagement is off, then?” she answered lightly, hoping to take advantage of his annoyance.

“As if it never existed.” Inwardly, she sighed with relief, but it was too soon. “Now, about-”

“Yes, and no.” Now Weiss had a firm grasp of herself again.

“Excuse me?” Now it was her father’s turn to raise an eyebrow at his defiant daughter.

“Yes, I’m a lesbian, and no, I’m not going to publicly retract it, or make whatever gesture you’ve got in mind to wipe what happened last night from the public eye.?” She shrugged before crossing her arms. “I’ve got my own image to consider, after all.”

“I see.” Her father turned away from Weiss, looking up at the portrait of Weiss’s grandfather that hung on the wall. “If you’re so adamant about it, I take it there’s a young lady involved, one you care deeply for?”

“There is.” Weiss found there was a lump in her throat as she considered the consequences of her father’s anger for her girlfriend. This was going to be complicated.

“I trust you’ve at least gotten involved with someone… suitably connected.”

“Her connections are… interesting.”

Jacques Schnee looked over his shoulder at his daughter. “I don’t like the way you put that. I expect to be introduced to her. Soon.”

“I… can’t promise that. But I can talk to her, see if she’ll meet you.” More like warn her first. Her father’s opinions on same-sex relationships were well-known, and right now he was being far too reasonable about this. It made Weiss suspicious.

Now Jacques Schnee turned to face his daughter completely, glaring at her. “Her name. Now.”

“No.” Weiss lifted her chin defiantly. “Her name isn’t mine to give. ‘Duty is a chain that binds both ways.’”

A nod of acknowledgment as she quoted his own words back at him. “Then speak with her as soon as practical. This has to be handled quickly, and with some discretion. I’ll need to speak with her parents as well.”

* * *

Ruby rubbed her temples with a groan. She’d seen what had happened at the palace last night on the news and gotten an eyewitness report from her mother so she’d known it was going to be bad. Weiss was right; King Jacques had done everything he could to keep gays from having any rights under Atlas law. No way could they trust him. But Ruby happened to have someone kind of formidable in her corner. A name to conjure with even here in Atlas. She gave herself a glance in her dresser mirror before heading downstairs. Taking a deep breath, she reached out and rapped the back of her hand against her mother’s office door. “Mom? Got a minute?”

“Up to my ears in everything as always, but come on in.” The office was decorated in dark Vale hardwoods, a Mistral rug that could have paid rent on a high-end apartment in downtown Atlas for a year on the floor. Summer Rose sat in her chair behind her desk, the reading glasses she hated admitting she needed perched on her nose. “Just be quick, okay? I caught some interesting bits at the party last night that put some other things into perspective and I need to write it all up for President Ozpin.”

“Oh, I’ve got a good one for you.” Ruby sat carefully in one of the comfortable armchairs facing the desk, practically tense enough to keep Atlas in the skies for the next century. “I’m Princes Weiss’s secret girlfriend,” she blurted out.

“You’re not joking.” Summer Rose knew her daughter knew better than to joke about something this important. She tossed her glasses on the desk and brought her powered chair around next to her daughter. Reaching out to take Ruby’s hand, Summer smiled. “I figured you were into girls, but this-!”

“I didn’t do it on purpose!”

“I know.” Summer looked past her daughter at the array of family photos occupying a side table in her office. “And I didn’t expect to fall in love with two people at the same time, either. Hearts are funny that way, sometimes. But this is going to make things really complicated for me, you know.”

“I know. Sorry.”

Summer leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples just like her daughter had moments earlier. It wasn’t easy being the Vale ambassador to Atlas. Summer’s reputation from the war served to cut through a large chunk of the bullshit, though. Most of the time.

She thought back to last night…

* * *

“ _Ladies and gentlemen, his royal highness, King Jacques Schnee!”_

 _Summer set her glass on the arm of her chair and politely joined in the applause as the king appeared on the balcony above the ballroom._ Man does love to make an entrance, _she thought to herself._ But at least this Brothers-cursed chair means I never need to find somewhere to put my glass.

_Well, that wasn’t completely fair. When Doctor Polendina had found out that Vale’s new ambassador to Atlas was none other than the famous Summer Rose, he’d insisted on presenting her with a copy of his own powered chair. And she had to admit that a chair with legs made it easier to get around that one with wheels. Stairs were a thing, after all. Although her security people had gone nuts trying to figure out if it was bugged or not._

_The king appeared at the edge of the balcony, raising a hand for silence. “Few men are called to serve as I have been, and on most days, I am proud to be your monarch, and prouder still of the people of Atlas.” This led to more applause, which he let go for a few seconds before raising his hand again. “But tonight, I find myself with another duty to perform, one in which my role as a father must come before my role as your king. Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to announce the engagement of my daughter, Princess Weiss Schnee, to Lord Cardin-”_

“You bastard!” _The words rang out from behind the king, a shockwave of stunned silence in their wake. Nobody dared interrupt the king. Summer just craned her head to get a good look. She thought she recognized the voice…_

_Standing right behind the king was his younger daughter, Princess Weiss, seething with rage. “How dare you-”_

“ _Young lady, this has been decided-”_ _her father interrupted._

“ _By whom? Certainly not by me. And for the record, I refuse to marry Cardin Winchester. He’s a womanizing ass and a bully. I’d sooner slit my own throat.”_

“ _Your highness, there’s no need-” Baron Winchester began, but Weiss kept right on talking, her words as inevitable as a tidal wave._

“ _And_ _while we’re getting things out in the open, there’s something I’ve been dying to say out loud for a long time: I’m a lesbian.” Weiss crossed her arms,_ _smirking_ _at her father defiantly._

_Shocked murmurs spread across the room, but Summer just lifted her champagne glass to cover her smile. Oh, this was going to be good._

“ _You promised-” Baron Winchester began, but the king silenced him with a wave._

“ _Weiss, you are marrying Cardin Winchester and that is final.”_

_A slap rang out, and the king stood gaping at his daughter in shock. “No.”_

“ _You will do as you are-”_

_Another slap, and this time the king gestured toward the security people standing by the door, his cheek bright crimson from the twin blows. “Escort my daughter to her room. I will speak with her later.”_

_Weiss turned toward the door, the look she gave the security people colder than the northernmost reaches of Mantle in the depths of winter. “I know the way. And if either one of you so much as thinks of laying a finger on me, the remainder of your life will be brief but extremely painful. And I will see to it with my own hands.”_

* * *

“Mom?”

Summer shook her head. “Sorry, remembering last night. Weiss kinda blew things up really big, didn’t she?”

“Heh, yeah,” Ruby agreed, scratching the back of her neck.

Now Summer drummed her fingers on her armrest, mind working furiously. “Okay, today I get to be a mom and a diplomat. I think we’ve got an appointment with the king this afternoon...”


	2. In which things are not under anyone's control

Jacques Schnee was a man who took pride in always being in control. Of himself, his situation, and the people around him. So when the ambassador of a kingdom he’d been at war with just a few years ago requested a private meeting ‘at his earliest convenience’ he put weighed carefully how long he should keep her waiting. Not too long, as Vale could be quick to take offense and quicker still to act on it, but not too quickly either, so he avoided any appearance that he was at her beck and call. Vale might be Atlas’s only real rival on Atlas, but Atlas was the greater of the two and would, inevitably, have control of all of Remnant. Not in Jacques’ life, he was too old and too honest with himself for that, but someday. Someday.

He also took care in arranging the meeting. The throne room was out of the question, she’d know he was trying to impress her and it would make her more stubborn about whatever urgent matter she wanted to discuss. No, his private office was more appropriate. Summer Rose would appreciate the sense of privacy and intimacy. Valens had little appreciation for pomp and circumstance, preferring to get down to business and speak honestly. Having any aides or ministers she hadn’t requested present would irritate her. Jacques even remembered that Summer’s daughters were friends with Weiss, and suggested that the one that was still in Atlas might come to visit her. Maybe seeing her friends would help his daughter be more reasonable.

“Thank you, Trifa, that will be all,” he said, nodding his head as the Faunus woman set the tray down on its stand next to Summer’s chair. “Now, let’s get down to business. What’s so urgent that it couldn’t wait until our appointment Monday morning? Don’t tell me there’s been another ‘incident’ near the Kalos Islands.”

Summer shook her head, picking up the coffee cup from the tray next to her and giving it an appreciative sniff. Say what you want about Atlas ‘cuisine’ overall but their coffee was usually fantastic. “No, I’m still waiting for the newest report from the joint archaeological commission. There are discrepancies in the radiocarbon dating between your labs and ours. I’m sure it will all be sorted out soon.” She gave him a diplomat’s thin you-know-and-I-know smile.

He nodded. The Kalos Islands had been a source of contention between Vale and Atlas for decades, possibly centuries, and Atlas had taken the opportunity during the war to finally seize control of them. Only to find themselves dealt a humiliating defeat when a rag-tag force made up of second-line troops had mutinied, taking every transport, freighter, fishing boat, tugboat, and rowboat they could get their hands on to retake the islands. Privately, Vale could have them as far as Jacques was concerned. Yes, the fishing in the area was phenomenal but they were barely worth the trouble of hanging onto them. And Jacques was unofficially very aware that the ‘discrepancies’ the ambassador had just mentioned were forgeries intended to substantiate Atlas’s claim to the islands.

“Well then-” Jacques broke off as his office door opened and Weiss came in, Summer’s younger daughter just behind her. He scowled, adjusting his collar in a nervous habit he.d never been able to break. “Weiss, dear, this is important business. Whatever it is, it will have to wait.”

“On the contrary, I don’t think it can,” she answered, a touch of smugness that most people wouldn’t have heard in her voice. “You did say you wanted to meet my girlfriend fairly soon, after all,” Weiss finished, taking Ruby’s hand in hers.

The one thing Jacques Schnee always, always had control of, no matter what, was himself. He always spoke very carefully, and never used profanity, feeling that resorting to it to make your point was the realm of idiotic and uneducated.

“Shit,” he swore softly.

Summer didn’t laugh, not quite, but she did have to use her coffee cup to hide her reaction, drawing Jacques’s anger. “Betrayed by my own blood,” he snarled, his mind already racing to find some fit punishment for his younger daughter.

Summer sighed. “No, no betrayal, Jacques. It hasn’t been as long for me as it has for you, but I can remember being their age, and I’m pretty sure they weren’t thinking about how complicated this was going to make things for us.”

“Ehehe, no, not really,” Ruby admitted, her face turning red.

Weiss cleared her throat. “We met at school, obviously. Just after Ruby started, some, thugs is the best word I can come up with, decided to beat up the daughter of the Vale ambassador. Her father nodded. “And naturally you intervened to stop them.”

“Hardly,” Weiss scoffed. “By the time I got involved, Ruby already had three of them down for the count. And of course, they tried to claim they were innocent, hoping to get her expelled. I just pointed out that she had no reason to pick a fight at seven-to-one odds.”

“Before you ask,” Summer interrupted, resting her chin on her folded hands, “Ruby’s been taking martial arts since she could walk. Her father’s been an instructor since before she was born. And no, I didn’t know about her and Weiss until now, either. Or you and I would already have had a hopefully somewhat less awkward conversation.”

“Yes, well, that isn’t going to make _this_ conversation any easier.” Jacques leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily. “Oh, sit down you two. As angry as I am, I feel ridiculous leaving you two standing while we talk.”

A quick rearranging of the chairs (Summer moved to one side so Ruby could scoot a chair over and sit next to Weiss) and a delivery of more coffee cups and a tray of cookies later, Jacques found himself staring over his tented hands at his middle child and her… girlfriend. He might as well get used to the word, he supposed, and to this one in particular. “You know how I feel about relationships like this, Weiss,” he growled.

“I am well aware of how bigoted and narrow-minded you are, Father,” she answered dismissively, dunking a cookie in her coffee before popping it in her mouth whole.

“Weiss, be polite,” Summer said, nibbling on a cookie. “Your father’s having to shift mental gears so hard right now I can practically hear the gears grinding. I’ll bet he was planning on scaring or buying off your girlfriend’s family and cutting a deal with you. Probably something along the lines of ‘do whatever you want in private, just be a good little princess in public.’ Oh, and apologize profusely and tell everyone you were lying about being a lesbian to get out of being engaged to Cardin Winchester.” She gave Jacques a butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-her-mouth smile. “Do I have that right, your highness?”

“More or less,” Jacques admitted, settling back in his chair. “Although I somehow get the impression that none of you would have gone along with that plan.”

“Yeah, let me think about that, nope!” Ruby giggled, leaning over to give Weiss a kiss on the cheek. “I mean, how could I abandon Weiss like that? She was my best friend before we were, you know, together. And besties don’t do that kind of thing to each other.”

Weiss rolled her eyes. “What am I going to do with you?”

“Bake me cookies?” was Ruby’s reply, making them both laugh.

“So,” the king said, looking over his steepled hands at the three of them, “I presume you have some alternative for me to consider? I can’t ignore this for too long, the press is getting rabid. And certain members of parliament are becoming… difficult.”

“By whom I assume you mean Baron Winchester,” Weiss said sharply. “Cardin has been making a nuisance of himself as well. Security has the note he sent with the flowers.”

“More of an outline than a plan,” Summer said as a frown. “A joint statement, from you and Weiss. You admit that announcing the engagement was a lapse in judgment. After all, you thought the two of them were closer than that, and that Weiss would accept it. Monarchs are merely mortal too, but not even a king can command the heart of a teenage girl. I think you get the idea.”

“And I apologize for hitting you, saying it was inappropriate behavior for a princess. Cardin and I weren’t close, I was just being polite to him,” Weiss added, nodding at Summer.

“Mm.” Jacques considered carefully for a moment. “Good as far as it goes, but there are other things to consider. If I publicly accept Weiss’s… statement, then I’ll have to deal with parliament. A lot of members aren’t going to like a member of the royal family being openly…whatever term you want to use. And Winchester will no doubt make things as difficult as he can. For spite, if nothing else.”

“Could you, I don’t know, try to get help from people in parliament that will be okay with it?” Ruby shrugged. “I mean, Atlas has more laws about sex than the other kingdoms put together. Maybe it’s time to rethink some of those?”

The king blinked, surprised. “Out of the mouths of babes,” he muttered, then shook himself. “There is a significant social reform movement, inside parliament and in the kingdom at large. And it is true that some of those laws are, let’s say in need of revision.” His gaze fixed firmly on Summer. “It’ll look suspicious if I wholeheartedly shift from opposing such measures to supporting them, but perhaps I could say that Weiss coming out to me like this has me reconsidering things. A father’s love, etcetera. There are other things that may make the whole thing impossible, however.

“The first is that Weiss is a _princess._ Right now, she stands second in line for the throne, at least until Winter marries and has children of her own. So,” the king’s eyes turned toward his daughter, “she should be keeping the line of succession in mind. Including producing heirs of her own.”

“I, um, well, that is,” Weiss stopped and took a deep breath, collecting herself. “Ruby and I haven’t, um, thought about any of that. It, um, it seemed to be getting ahead of ourselves? We’re still in high school after all. And, um, Ruby’s younger than I am so it’d be a while before we could, um, get married or anything.” Ruby just bit her lip and squeezed Weiss’s hand.

“Still-” the king continued, but Summer raised a hand. “Sorry, don’t want to push dynastic concerns to the side, but there are ways Weiss could have heirs without needing to marry a man. In vitro fertilization’s been around for decades. And I’ve heard that the same labs in Vale where your wife’s getting her gene therapy treatments aren’t that far from letting two women conceive a child. Or two men, but they’d need a surrogate mother, obviously.” Summer tilted her head to one side, smiling at the king. “I’ve been meaning to ask, how is Queen Willow’s treatment going?”

Jacques grunted, recognizing the conversational ploy as intended to give him a moment to digest what she’d just said. “I assumed you got regular reports as part of your domestic intelligence briefing.”

She shrugged. “They’re available to me, but I don’t read those. It seemed an invasion of privacy. Willow’s going through so much, it’s a small kindness but the only one I can give.”

“No, it wouldn’t have been possible without your help.” Another thing that annoyed the king. While Atlas lead the way in hard sciences, Vale was decades ahead of them in biotech, and likely to stay that way for a long time. “There was a mistake made, she had an allergic reaction to this round of treatment, but it was quickly caught and corrected, and she’s showing signs of great improvement.” Jacques leaned back in his chair, noticing the look Ruby was giving Weiss and easily deciphering its meaning: _See, I told you. Let my mom handle your dad._ “The idea of Weiss needing a laboratory, especially one in Vale, to produce heirs will placate some of parliament and upset others.” Although he might be able to enlist Countess Adel’s help, convince her to bring it up in parliament instead of him. She was heavily invested in Atlas’s biotech industry and he knew she desperately wanted to bring them up to Vale’s level. Hell, Adel probably already knew what Summer had just told him!

Damn Summer Rose, she was starting to get him thinking of ways to make this work instead of reasons it couldn’t. Speaking of which…

“There is one thing that isn’t so quickly or easily solved, however,” the king said slowly. “There’s no way we can keep who Weiss is dating a secret forever. And there are going to be people who wouldn’t like a member of the royal family dating someone from Vale, much less another girl!”

“Well-” Summer began, but Jacques continued.

“And then there’s another factor to consider.” He leaned forward, pointing a finger at Summer. “She is _your_ daughter. And I’m sure you’re well aware of exactly how a lot of people in Atlas still feel about you.” Jacques leaned back in his chair again, steepling his fingers on the edge of his desk as he let what he’d said sink in.

Summer Rose. More often known as the ‘Silver Rose.’ Crippled, lying in a prisoner of war camp, she’d organized the prisoners, taken the camp _and_ the Atlesian support base nearby, then proceeded to run amok behind Atlas’s front lines, converting the faltering Mistrali resistance into a force capable of making Atlas’s invasion of Mistral much harder. A lot of the anger people in Atlas felt over losing the war was focused on Summer Rose.

When Vale appointed her their ambassador after the war, there were riots in Atlas. And when Summer saw the condition of the Vale embassy in Atlas—it had been devastated by fire and thoroughly vandalized, before and after—she bought up a large chunk of the surrounding neighborhood using shell corporations and her family’s own money, then had the embassy rebuilt using a Mistral construction company, twice as big as before and with a clock tower that not only was the tallest building in the neighborhood, it kept Vale time, not Atlas. And she’d already signed the embassy over to the Vale government before construction even began. Atlas’s then prime minister had personally headed down there, protesting that none of it had been cleared with his government and demanding that the construction stop immediately. Summer had refused and made a rude gesture. When he continued, she just casually mentioned that she’d never killed anyone on live television before, in an off-hand way that made it sound like she was more interested in what was for lunch.

Summer had just passed the five-year mark as Vale’s ambassador to Atlas. Her patience with idiots and fools hadn’t improved much.

“Well, there is that,” Summer said with a shrug. “On the other hand, neither a king nor an ambassador can command a teenage girl’s heart. I can’t say I’m overjoyed about her and Weiss dating either. So we grab the bull by the horns and kick it in the balls.”

“I’m sorry?” Jacques was confused.

“Admit Ruby is Weiss’s girlfriend and yes, my daughter. No, this isn’t some bizarre Valish political ploy, it’s just two teenage girls in love, and after talking it over, we’ve decided to let them sort it out for themselves, more or less.”

Now he was nodding. “It has the elegance of simplicity. I’m not sure how it will go over in parliament. There may be calls to demand that Vale replace you as ambassador.”

“Pretty sure that wouldn’t stop us,” Ruby muttered, making the king frown. Her mother just laughed.

* * *

“ _Good morning, Atlas…”_

“I’m Lisa Lavender for VBC News, and here in public for the first time since revealing to the world that she’s a lesbian is Princess Weiss Schnee, as well as her father, King Jacques Schnee. I’m surprised to see the two of you appearing in public together again, so soon after so public a confrontation.”

“Yes, well, “Jacques reached up and adjusted his collar. “It was a humbling experience for me, both as a king and a father. I’ve said this before, but now I feel like the people of Atlas need to hear me saying it too. I’m sorry, Weiss. I thought you and Cardin were close, that you’d be happy to be engaged to him. But I should have made sure, before arranging the engagement with his father. It just goes to show that not even a king can command the heart of a teenage girl.”

“I’m sorry too, father. For… keeping a secret from you, and for the way I reacted. If I’d had the courage to, to tell you how I felt…”

“No need to feel sorry. You had every right to be upset, and I guess I earned that slap.” Jacques reached a hand up to where Weiss had struck him, then laughed. “But just the first one,” he said, waggling a finger at her.

“So,” Lisa continued, “at this point, there’s one question on everyone’s mind: What now? What about the engagement to Cardin Winchester? Will this trigger a change in your government’s policies toward same-sex couples?”

“The engagement is off,” the king rumbled. “There was a preliminary agreement between Count Winchester and myself, but Weiss’s refusal was more than enough to cancel it. Not to mention how Cardin and his father behaved after the incident.”

“How they behaved? What do you mean by that?” Lisa tilted her head, her curiosity piqued.

“I don’t want to go too deeply into the details, but I believe it’s sufficient to say that Baron Winchester and his son will not be finding themselves invited back to the palace anytime soon.

“As for your other question..” King Jacques’ voice trailed off, then he shrugged. “I find that it’s harder to condemn same-sex couples, now that I know my own daughter is a lesbian. Which admittedly sounds flimsy and weak, but has the virtue of being the truth. And it would be highly hypocritical of me to love my daughter while turning a blind eye to how others like her are treated. I’ve already spoken with the head of the ministry of justice and a few select members of parliament, and they agree that it’s high time that Atlas’s laws on such matters were revised. Exactly how they will change has yet to be determined.”

Lisa cleared her throat, not quite willing to believe what she was hearing. “So, after all this, there’s one question that’s been bothering me since we started. I see an empty chair next to yours, Princess Weiss. Is there a reason for it, or was it a mistake by the palace staff?”

“No, no mistake, Lisa,” Weiss answered with a laugh. “You’re far too polite to ask, but I’m sure a lot of people watching are wondering if I have a girlfriend right now, and who she is. The answer is yes, and she’s waiting in the next room.”

The door opened, and Ruby stepped through nervously. She’d done public appearances before, but this was kinda different. People were going to be pissed. Well, fuck them and the horse they rode in on, as her mother had said to her that morning. Right after Ruby got done throwing up for the third time.

“This is Ruby Rose,” Weiss said, reaching out to take Ruby’s hand as she sat down.

“Ruby Rose, daughter of the infamous _S_ _ilv_ _er_ Rose?” Lisa blurted out, shocked.

“Yeah, that’s my mom. But please, she doesn’t like being called that. I mean, she didn’t know about me and Weiss until a few days ago. Well, she knew we were friends, but she didn’t know we were together.” Weiss gave Ruby’s hand a quick squeeze, but the silver-eyed girl had already bitten the inside of her lip to keep herself from babbling more.

“And how is your family taking this?” Lisa asked.

“Mom was surprised, but she says we’re going to take this as it comes. She did kind of read me the riot act about this, though. Dad laughed. My sister… I don’t think she knows what to think about this, yet.”

“Ambassador Rose and I will be addressing parliament tomorrow to address the… wider issues,” Jacques said, smiling at Ruby and Weiss. “For now, Ambassador Rose and are taking a hands-off approach to Ruby and Weiss’s relationship. As the ambassador pointed out, teenage romances don’t always last. And given that Weiss is older than Ruby, we have the luxury of time. We should give them that.

* * *

“ _So how did the two of you meet?” Lisa Lavender asks, not wanting to miss the human interest angle in a story like this._

“ _With my mom being the ambassador, she enrolled me at Atlas Academy. When I transferred over to the high school, some guys decided pounding me flat was a good idea. I’d just put the third one of them on the ground when Weiss shows up and…”_

With a roar of rage, Cardin Winchester put his fist through the holographic display. Frustrated, he picked up the table the projector was built into and threw it across the room. “Little better-than-you _bitch,”_ he snarls.

“Are you done?”

He whirls, and she’s standing there, smirking at him smugly. “No,” he answers.

“Good,” answers the amber-eyed woman who’s proven so useful to him and his father in the past. “Because we’re just getting started. And when we’re done, we’ll both have what’s rightfully ours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know this chapter is a lot of talky-talky. I'll try to keep that down in the future. And for those of you that are interested, Summer Rose enlisted in the military as a nurse. The trope you are looking for is Ambadassador.


	3. In which stuffy old men must be confronted

“Range, eighty-five yards. Wind, south-by-southwest, six miles per hour. Elevation, negative one hundred feet. Fire!”

_Whump._

The trebuchet’s arm sprang forward, sending its projectiles arcing into the sky. Ruby tracked them with her binoculars, muttering “Come on, come on.” This was the first time she’d used the trebuchet by herself, and she found herself wishing she’d hit her target square on. Or at least close enough her sister wouldn’t be too mad.

Direct hit! The water balloons rained down right in front of the guy at the back of the protesters with the bullhorn splattering him and a bunch of rowdy-looking types around him. She couldn’t hear him from up on the embassy roof, but Ruby would have bet a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies he was egging everyone on. For extra fun, she’d dosed the balloons with some prank stench Yang had ordered. As Ruby watched, one guy bent in half, heaving his guts out. “Serves ‘em right.” They’d smell like that for days!

“I’m surprised you didn’t use the slime or the shaving cream this time.”

“Out of slime and the wind’s too heavy for shaving cream. But Yang got some stuff off the net that smells worse than a skunk and-” Uh-oh. Ruby rolled over from the ‘spotter’s post’ where she’d been watching the after-effects of her shot and looked up.

Tukson looked down at her, his arms crossed. “Busted,” he growled, but Ruby thought he was fighting to keep a smile off his face. None of the embassy staff liked the protesters, but as long as they kept far enough back, there was nothing they could do. Officially, that is. “One, didn’t your mother tell you no more tossing things at the protesters? And take the catapult away from you? Two, how’d you get that up here by yourself? And three, aren’t you supposed to be getting ready to go get grilled by Parliament?”

“Not a catapult, it’s a trebuchet.” Ruby dusted off her knees, looking at her scroll. “And I hauled it up here one piece at a time, starting when I got home after that interview. The protesters, well…”

“Got to you, did they?” Tukson’s face softened as he shook his head.

“They were burning me in effigy, Tux!”

“Yeah. What kind of sick bastards do that to a teenage girl?” Tukson stepped up to the edge of the roof, looking out over the crowd with his face set in a scowl. There were still a lot of people in Atlas angry over the war, and revealing Ruby’s identity had just added fuel to the fire. “At least the cops showed up to run them off that time. Come on, you’ve got to head down and get cleaned up.”

* * *

Transporting a paraplegic who needs a wheelchair to get around presents certain logistical challenges. Likewise, transporting the ambassador to a country that her home happened to be at war with just a handful of years ago presents a host of security issues. When the two happen to be the same person who is also rather infamous for her role in that war, the solution set tends to be rather unique.

So what pulled up smoothly to the steps in front of Altas’s parliament building was consequently a rather unique vehicle. On the outside, it appeared to be a rather tastefully appointed utility van equipped with a ramp for loading and unloading a wheelchair. (Or the rather useful cyberchair one finds oneself gifted with.) Underneath it was a rather different story. The van’s engine would have been at home inside a light tank, the tires were thin shells padding armored disks that could claw their way over rough terrain, and its armored sides and windows could shrug off light anti-armor weapons. And had on a few occasions, much to the chagrin of disgruntled Atlesians looking to settle a real or imagined slight with the Silver Rose.

After the van’s side door slid open and the ramp extended, the first to emerge as usual was Ambassador Summer Rose herself, the insect-like legs of her chair stretching out as it unfolded itself from the van. Summer reached up with one hand to tuck a lock of hair loosened by the freshening morning breeze back behind her hair. Normally when Vale’s ambassador found herself needing to address parliament on Vale’s behalf, she entered the side entrance from the secured parking garage next door. Today, today was about theater, so she had to come in up the front steps. As she took in the crowds of demonstrators, she gave thanks that someone in security had had the sense to keep the groups roughly separated.

The shouting intensified as the van’s other passenger stepped blinking into the sunlight. Ruby shielded her eyes as she looked out over the crowds, and if the people screaming obscenities and waving hateful signs bothered her, only her mother could have told you for sure. Instead, those silver eyes that matched her mother’s so perfectly turned toward those cheering her and waving signs bearing messages of love and support. With the exuberance only a teenager could call upon, she turned and waved at them before skipping over to stand next to her mother. Honestly, Ruby would have run ahead instead of climbing the steps beside her mother, but even she had to bow to decorum today.

Because standing at the top of the steps, waiting for the two of them were King Jacques Schnee and Princess Weiss Schnee. Yup, Weiss was definitely in full Princess Mode now, posture perfect, hands folded in front of her just so. And so “Good morning your royal highness, your royal highness, I apologize for us being late,” Ruby said to each of them, bowing slightly. She’s going to get this protocol thing yet. Maybe. Someday.

“Someone was on the roof using the protesters for trebuchet practice again,” Summer said, nodding her head at the king.

“I thought you threw that thing away,” Weiss said with a smirk.

Ruby laughed. “Nah, they just stuffed it in the garden shed so I picked the lock.”

“Then for your act of burglary, I have a reward.” And with that, Weiss stepped forward and put her arms around Ruby, pulling her close for a kiss.

Ruby’s eyes went wide in surprise for a moment before she closed them and put her own arms around Weiss. “Wasn’t expecting that but it kinda feels good, being able to kiss you in front of people.”

“Father’s idea. He said that since everyone knows about us now, it might not be a terrible idea for us to start showing our affection.”

“Within reason, of course,” the king murmured his eyes looking at the demonstrators. It might be his imagination but he thought the angry ones seemed a little louder now.

“The words ‘within reason’ don’t mean much to teenage girls,” was Summer’s answer as Jacques turned toward the door, one of the guards bowing as he opened it in from of them.

Inside the normally bustling rotunda was deserted. The only people in evidence were more security and the receptionist who looked so nervous she was practically vibrating. “Didn’t mean to shut things down like this,” Ruby muttered.

“You didn’t cause this by yourselves, Miss Ruby,” Jacques said as he led the way toward the debate chamber. “This has been coming for a long time, Weiss’s outburst just provided the catalyst. And the queen has convinced me that it’s past time for Atlas to have this conversation.”

Summer found herself biting her lip as the doors opened in front of them. Jacques Schnee had been one of those fighting to keep things the way they were, so she found his change of heart… unconvincing.

Before Weiss and her father could head off to the seats reserved for the royal family, Ruby reached out and took her hand, pulling her close for another kiss. And if they lingered a bit before parting, who could blame them? Two young hearts in love, any time apart must feel like forever. Jacques schooled his face into a neutral expression, but his eyes were watching the reaction across the chamber. This… was going to be a long day.

/break

“-absolutely inconceivable and an insult to everything Atlas stands for! He has publicly humiliated me and I demand compensation!”

The king smothered a resigned sigh. He’d supported Prime Minister Sleet in the last election because he’d thought the man could be relied upon to do what Jacques needed done. But Sleet was buckling under the pressure of today’s high-pressure debate. Ruby and Weiss kept exchanging looks across the chamber, and he wished he’d been able to let them sit together for this. But protocol was protocol, after all.

“Baron Winchester.”

A voice used to commanding and being heard rung out across the chamber, cutting Winchester off in mid-tirade. Headmaster Ironwood was standing at the front of the witness’s gallery, glaring at the baron. “Right now all I’m hearing from you is sour grapes. The king himself has already admitted that he shouldn’t have arranged the engagement without discussing it with Weiss and getting her consent. He’s even publicly apologized to you for that, and the princess herself has apologized for her outburst.”

“Nevertheless-”

“Dude, shut the hell up.”

This time the interruption came from the assembled ranks of the Lords. Slate glanced a the king, who nodded slightly. It might be a breach of protocol, but he wanted to see where this led.

At the rime minister’s gesture, a blonde young man about Weiss’s age the king vaguely recognized stood up, smoothing his jacket nervously. “Listen, we’ve been at this for hours. And all I’ve heard is two things, over and over again. You whining about how you Weiss made you look like an idiot and insulted your son. Well, I know Cardin from school, and what she said about him is true. And I’d say the king apologizing makes up for any ‘insult’ you suffered.

“The other thing I’m hearing,” and here the blonde man took a deep breath to steady himself as he looked out over the chamber, “is a bunch of stuffy old men who don’t want things to change and think they have the right to tell people how to live and control a teenage girl’s love life. Which is bullshit. Yeah, she’s a princess, yeah she’s got duties because of that, but her life is still her life. She should have control of it. That’s all I’ve got.”

“Count Arc, control your heir!” Winchester snapped.

Before the blonde man could move, the older gentleman sitting next to him stood and put a hand on his shoulder. “Why? I find myself in agreement with him. His points are valid if clumsily put. You do need some lessons in public speaking, Jaune.”

“I find myself compelled to agree as well.” The holographic display behind Sleet came to life, showing someone nobody had expected to hear from today.

Queen Willow Schnee looked out over the chamber, her expression not quite a glare, her bearing somehow making her hospital bed look like a throne, and the gown she wore more regal than the royal regalia.

“Y-your Majesty,” Baron Winchester said, flustered. “It’s wonderful for you to grace these proceedings with your presence. I hope you are feeling better today and can return to us soon.”

Summer snorted. He almost sounded sincere. More like how long did he have until the hellbitch started getting in his way again.

“I am stronger by the day, although the doctors refuse to give me a timeline for when I can once again resume the throne other than ‘soon.’” Willow’s focus shifted, looking somewhere else. “My husband.”

Jacques had left his seat and was kneeling, facing the projection of his wife. “My queen. I have done my best to serve well, in your absence.”

Willow nodded. “And you have done so, for the most part. Now let’s cut to the point and get past Baron Winchester’s annoying attempt to win some concession in exchange for shutting the hell up. Weiss.”

The princess stood, bowing before her mother. “Yes, mother?”

“Describe for me, if you can, when you knew your relationship with Ruby… held a deeper meaning than just friendship.”

The white-haired girl swallowed nervously. “W-well, we were lying on the grass in the embassy garden, looking up at the clouds. Without really thinking about it, I found my hand holding Ruby’s, and it was the happiest moment I’d ever known. I turned my head to look at her and found her looking back at me. And that’s when I knew.”

“So not love at first, sight, then?”

“No, just…” Weiss paused to gather her thoughts. “When we first met, there was something about Ruby that drew me to her. At first, she didn’t recognize me as Princess Weiss, so she was surprised to find out who I was. And she didn’t want all the things that most people want from me. All Ruby wanted was to be my friend. Being in love… that came later.”

The queen nodded, her expression thoughtful. “Love does that, sometimes, coming to you so quietly and gently that you don’t realize it’s there. I’m not sure how to ask this, but how long do you expect things to last between you and Ruby? Have you made any promises to each other?”

Her daughter got even paler than usual. “I-we, we haven’t made any promises to teach other, no. We never, never talked about the future, we just enjoyed what we had.”

“I understand. Now, Miss Rose.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?” mother and daughter answered together, and Willow laughed. “I suppose I should have specified that I was speaking to Ruby. Any conniving or scheming on your part? Did you set out to seduce my daughter, or did anyone tell you to do so, or to become her friend?”

“No, your majesty,” Ruby answered, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. “When I met Weiss… she just seemed like she could use a friend. And I guess I knew about us a little before Weiss did. I just... I didn’t want to bring it up and risk ruining what we already had. Weiss was the first one to say she loved me, but I said it right back.”

The brunette took a deep breath, doing her best to copy Weiss’s posture. “Your majesty, I love Weiss, and I feel like I make her happy and I want to keep making her happy. We, um, we never talked about the future, though. I think we both knew, without even talking about it, that we had to keep things a secret, that it couldn’t last. I mean, neither one of us wants it to end but… Someone else could be assigned as Vale’s ambassador, and Weiss is a princess, and this is Atlas, so…” Ruby trailed off, not sure how to continue.

“The love you shared seemed so precious, you didn’t dare speak of it to anyone else for fear of it vanishing like smoke in the wind. Oh don’t be so surprised,” Willow said with a laugh. “I loved to write poetry when I was younger. I never shared it with anyone or dared publish it, though. It was a side of myself I had to keep hidden. My daughter is braver than me in that regard.”

“I found your journal, where you left it in the top left-hand journal of your desk,” Jacques said quietly from his seat. “I wish you hadn’t felt like you had to hide it from me.”

“Mm.” The queen smiled warmly at her husband. “So, Ruby, Weiss, now that things are out in the open, would you continue your relationship, if you can?”

“Absolutely!” Ruby shouted out before Weiss barely had her mouth open. “But…”

“The queen and I have discussed this, and we’re in agreement.” The king stood in front of the projection of his wife. “We have decided to publicly accept Weiss’s relationship with Ruby. We have a sound working relationship with Ambassador Rose, and we know Ruby and think she can be a suitable companion for her. There… may be times Ruby will need to accompany Weiss; we’ll handle those as they come along, just like when the queen and I started seeing each other.”

“Now for the legal aspects.” The queen’s expression grew serious. “Minister Watts, have you completed the review the king and I requested?”

Arthur Watts, head of the ministry of justice stood. “I have a preliminary review ready, your majesty, your highness. A full review will take much longer.”

“Summarize it for us, please.”

Watts stepped over to the witness’s podium and opened his briefcase. “This,” he said, a pair of thick binder thumping down on the table next to him, “is Atlas’s body of law on sex and marriage. Some of the laws that are still enforced today are almost two hundred years old, and very much in need of updating.”

“Yes, so we can forbid things like this abom-” Winchester interrupted.

“Master at arms,” Willow said quietly. “If Baron Winchester interrupts these proceedings or speaks without being recognized again, stun him and remove him from this chamber.”

“But-”

“I. Was. Not. Joking. Proceed, Minister Watts.”

“This is the corresponding body of law from Vale.” A much thinner binder. “Mistral, complicated slightly by their clan inheritance law. Vacuo. And finally,” the thinnest binder of all, “Menagerie. All told, Atlas has twice as many laws on this subject as the other kingdoms combined. _Combined,_ ladies and gentlemen. Not twice as many as any individual kingdom, twice as many as them all combined. And their legal codes are much more refined as well. They have written new legislation whereas what Atlas has done is patch upon patch. This creates… annoying ambiguities. For example, the law that Baron Winchester is citing as the primary justification for his suit is still in force-”

“Ha! I told you!”

Watts glared at him. “However, it is just under two hundred years old, and does not apply in this case for two major reasons: First, there was no written agreement of engagement. And second, any such agreement would have required Weiss’s signature. Facts which Baron Winchester is determined to ignore.”

“I have witness- _zzzt.”_

The king watched as the unconscious Baron Winchester was dragged roughly from the chamber. It seemed the master at arms was as tired of him as everyone else today. “Do you have any preliminary recommendations to go with your review?”

“Yes.” Watts adjusted the gloves he habitually wore before continuing. “First, although I don’t feel it would be wise to copy Vale’s laws verbatim, I think they would be our best guidepost. They had many of the same social issues when they began seriously revising their relevant laws that we do now. In fact, there’s a pertinent legal point Ambassador Rose brought to my attention when I consulted her that will make a significant difference.”

“Oh?” Jacques looked at Summer with a frown. “I hadn’t realized that you had consulted with Ambassador Rose.”

“He sought my advice on finding legal experts in Vale to consult with,” Summer said quietly. “I gave him some names and suggested a specific case I knew about.”

Watts nodded. “The case was a very useful precedent for overturning many of Vale’s own laws regarding same-sex relationships and marriage. In short, a young man was fired from his job for being in a relationship with another young man. It was argued that his employer would not have fired a woman for dating a man, and thus the employer’s actions were discrimination on the basis of sex.”

The queen nodded in return. “And the laws we passed in my father’s time against discrimination do include very strong measures against discrimination based on sex.” Otherwise, Willow might not have become queen. Before her father’s death, many in Atlas had favored one of her cousins as the heir to the throne. Some people still insisted that the only reason Nicholas Schnee had pushed the laws through was so his daughter could inherit.

“Indeed. Again, members of my staff are still reviewing all the relevant laws. It will most likely be at least a month, possibly more before I have detailed recommendations for parliament.” Watts’s mustache twitched.

“I understand. Please keep Us informed as to your progress.” Willow started coughing, someone reaching from off-camera to hand her a handkerchief. “Pardon me. My doctors agreed to my addressing you today, but advised me to keep it brief, and I am growing tired. Ladies and gentlemen, I must bid you a good day. Jacques, look after my people for me.”

“Always, my love,” the king answered, his normally stern face softening.”

“Weiss, I look forward to you properly introducing Ruby to me when I return. And Miss Ruby?” The queen leaned forward, her eyes growing intent.

Ruby gulped. “Y-yes, your majesty?”

“Be kind to my daughter. I can ask nothing more, I expect nothing less.”

* * *

“And now that that’s done with,” the king said as they waited once again in the rotunda, “there’s something else I wanted to say. Willow and I meant it when we said we were accepting your relationship, Weiss. We’ll see about shifting some of your royal duties around, to free up more time to spend together. In fact, why don’t you spend the rest of the day together, maybe this evening? I have a car and driver waiting for you.”

“Yeah, junk food and video games!” Ruby cheered.

Summer nodded in agreement, but before she could say anything, her scroll chimed an incoming message. “Your father just messaged me, Ruby. He says he’s proud of you standing up to ‘the goon squad,’ his words, in parliament today.

“He and Yang will be home tomorrow."


End file.
